Covenants and Kingdoms
Thesis
Covenants and kingdoms are two fundamental structures in scripture - covenants establish relationships through agreements, while kingdoms organize power and authority. Understanding how these structures work reveals patterns in how humans organize themselves and relate to the divine.
Why it matters
Covenants and kingdoms aren’t just ancient concepts - they’re patterns that continue to shape how we understand relationships, authority, and governance. By studying how these structures function in scripture, we gain insight into how agreements work, how power is organized, and how authority is established and maintained.
Content
Covenants are binding agreements that establish relationships. In scripture, we see:
- Covenants between God and individuals (Noah, Abraham)
- Covenants between God and communities (Israel at Sinai)
- Covenants between people (David and Jonathan)
- New covenants that reinterpret old ones
Each covenant establishes terms, creates obligations, and defines the relationship. They’re not just contracts - they’re relational structures that shape identity and behavior.
Kingdoms are systems of authority and governance. Scripture shows:
- Earthly kingdoms (Israel, Babylon, Rome)
- The kingdom of God (present and future)
- How kingdoms rise and fall
- How authority is established and challenged
Kingdoms reveal patterns in how power works, how authority is legitimized, and how governance structures emerge and evolve.
What patterns appear here?
- Agreement structures - How covenants create and maintain relationships
- Authority patterns - How kingdoms establish and exercise power
- Evolution of structures - How covenants and kingdoms develop over time
- Relationship dynamics - How agreements shape identity and behavior
- Power and legitimacy - How authority is established and maintained
- Divine and human - How these structures bridge the sacred and secular